In the wired world, where everyone has access to a camera, a screen or both, it is easier than ever to find fleeting fame. A hit TV show will do the trick: The cast of Desperate Housewives, largely unknown less than a year ago, is all but overexposed today. Nowadays you can be famous just for being famous--see Paris Hilton--or for having a run of good luck, as Ken Jennings did during his six-month winning stint on Jeopardy!

Yet some stars earn their status by good old-fashioned accomplishment. Tiger Woods has won 60 tournaments in ten years. George Lucas' lifework, his Star Wars franchise, has generated billions of dollars in ticket and merchandise sales over three decades. Though Revenge of the Sith is his last chapter, profits will flow to him for years to come.

And Oprah Winfrey, who perennially ranks near the top of our Celebrity 100 list, takes the No. 1 spot this year for the first time. After 21 years, her daytime chat-fest still rules the airwaves, minting new celebs--and hundreds of millions of dollars in profits.

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